Feeding wagons

Abstract

A feeding wagon has a wheeled frame and a reinforced, enclosed receptacle with an entrance through which crop can be loaded. The receptacle can be attached to the frame by hydraulic cylinder and swash plate assemblies that engage coupling points on upwardly extending supports that are fastened at the sides of the receptacle. The swash plates are pivoted to lift the receptacle onto the frame with the aid of guides. A crop feeding device, including a pick up and advancing member on an auxiliary frame, is connected to the front of the receptacle frame adjacent the entrance. After the receptacle is loaded by the device, it is transported to a site and separated from the frame. The sidewalls of the receptacle have openings that can be exposed so that cattle can withdraw fodder until the receptacle has been emptied. In the meanwhile, a second receptacle can be loaded by the same feeding device and on the same wheeled frame.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. A feeding wagon for cattle comprising a substantially horizontally disposed frame and forward and rearward ground wheels on said frame supporting said frame above the ground, a crop containing receptacle being mounted on said frame, said receptacle having a pair of side walls and a substantially flat as seen from the side floor, each wall having a plurality of beam means extending upwardly from said floor secured to a horizontal beam in their higher aspects above said floor, said beam means arranged through the length of said receptacle and defining opening means in said receptacle of a height and width whereby crop within the receptacle is accessible through said opening means to cattle from outside thereof beginning at the level of said floor and above, said receptacle having forward and rearward end walls for containing crop therein, said forward end wall defining an entrance substantially at the level of said floor, a crop feeding device adjacent said entrance that is adapted to move crop into said receptacle at the level of said floor for loading said wagon from the floor up, said device being coupled to the forward end of said frame by coupling means and comprising a pick-up member for picking crop up off the ground and an advancing member positioned to cooperate with said pick-up member and move crop through said entrance into the receptacle in a substantially horizontal direction. 
     
     
       2. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feeding device is detachably coupled to said receptacle with said coupling means. 
     
     
       3. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 2, wherein the feeding device is supported on an auxiliary frame. 
     
     
       4. A feeding member as claimed in claim 3, wherein said auxiliary frame has at least one supporting ground wheel. 
     
     
       5. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said feeding device is turnable about at least one horizontal pivotal axis. 
     
     
       6. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 5, wherein said horizontal pivotal axis coincides with said coupling means. 
     
     
       7. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 6, wherein said feeding device is coupled to said receptacle with a hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
       8. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 7, wherein said hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the feeding device by an arm and pivotable about a second horizontal pivotal axis. 
     
     
       9. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 8, wherein said hydraulic cylinder is connected to turn the wagon, with respect to said feeding device, about said second pivotal axis with said arm. 
     
     
       10. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 9, wherein a draw bar is connected to the feeding device, adjacent the front thereof. 
     
     
       11. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said advancing member has tine that push crop in a substantially horizontal direction through said entrance into the receptacle. 
     
     
       12. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 11, wherein said feeding device has a single row of tine. 
     
     
       13. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 11, wherein said pick-up member has a tined cylindrical roller. 
     
     
       14. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein, viewed in a direction transverse to the direction of operative travel of said wagon, the pick-up member is located in front of said advancing member, at least in part. 
     
     
       15. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pick-up member is connected to said auxiliary frame by pivot means having a horizontal axis. 
     
     
       16. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein the front of said auxillary frame is supported on at least one wheel and said wheel is located adjacent the pick-up member. 
     
     
       17. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rear part of said feeding device is pivotable about a horizontal axis with respect to the remainder thereof. 
     
     
       18. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein crop can be withdrawn from said receptacle, said floor comprising plate means from which all crop can be taken by the cattle from said receptacle through said opening means. 
     
     
       19. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein said opening means the opening in said walls are closeable by rod means on said receptacle. 
     
     
       20. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least the lower part of one said side wall adjacent said floor is located closer to the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of said wagon than the upper part of said side wall. 
     
     
       21. a feeding wagon as claimed in claim 20, wherein the angle between said lower part of the sidewall and a horizontal plane, is about 65°. 
     
     
       22. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein said walls comprise mesh openings. 
     
     
       23. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 22, wherein said mesh openings are formed by a chain network. 
     
     
       24. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 23, wherein the dimensions of the mesh openings are about 15×15 cms. 
     
     
       25. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 22, wherein the mesh openings are provided at equal intervals along the length of said wagon. 
     
     
       26. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least part of the sidewalls of said wagon have an outwardly extending feeding gutter. 
     
     
       27. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 26, wherein viewed on plan and transversely of the direction of travel, the width of said gutter substantially corresponds with the width of the lower parts of said sidewalls and said lower part is apertured. 
     
     
       28. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein said receptacle has a closed roof. 
     
     
       29. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 28, wherein said roof adjoins upper parts of said walls and those parts are made from sheet material. 
     
     
       30. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sidewalls are fitted with profiled reinforcements. 
     
     
       31. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 30, wherein said reinforcements extend upwardly and have a larger sized horizontal sectional area adjacent the top of the receptacle that the bottom thereof. 
     
     
       32. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 31, wherein said reinforcements extend downwards from said top to apertured lower parts of said walls. 
     
     
       33. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 32, wherein said wagon is rectangular and said reinforcements are connected with a horizontal U-shaped beam which extends in the direction of length of the wagon, to conduct water away. 
     
     
       34. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 31, wherein said reinforcements and corresponding walls are made from an integral length of sheet material. 
     
     
       35. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 34, wherein said reinforcements are prolonged to extend along the roof of said receptacle and are located on the outer side thereof. 
     
     
       36. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 35, wherein viewed in the direction of travel, the reinforcements form upper U-shaped structures. 
     
     
       37. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 36, wherein the lower part of said receptacle, including the floor, form a lower U-shaped structure with stiffened parts at the corners thereof. 
     
     
       38. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 37, wherein said upper and lower U-shaped structures extend transversely of the direction of length of said wagon, and the two structures are joined adjacent the limb ends thereof. 
     
     
       39. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 37, wherein said structure includes tubular beams that comprise lower parts of said walls. 
     
     
       40. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 37, wherein adjacent the top, stiffened parts of said receptacle are connected with said lower U-shaped structure. 
     
     
       41. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 40, wherein rods bear on the inner side of said tubular beams. 
     
     
       42. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 37, wherein stiffened parts of said lower U-shaped structure are formed by stiffening beams bent in the shape of a U and positioned substantially beneath the receptacle. 
     
     
       43. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 41, wherein said tubular beams are open adjacent the bottom of the wagon. 
     
     
       44. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 18, wherein said floor is a steel sheet. 
     
     
       45. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 44, wherein at least part of said sheet is ridged in the middle thereof. 
     
     
       46. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 45, wherein the angle between at least part of the floor sheet and the horizontal is about 7.5°. 
     
     
       47. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein extensible supports are connected to the bottom of said wagon. 
     
     
       48. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said wagon has a length of about 8.5 ms, a width of about 2.5 ms and a height of about 4.5 ms. 
     
     
       49. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lower part of said receptacle has sidewalls that are apertured and said lower part has a height of about one meter. 
     
     
       50. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said entrance is in the front wall of said receptacle and said entrance has closing means. 
     
     
       51. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 3, wherein said wagon is supported on each side by three ground wheels. 
     
     
       52. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 51, wherein the loading capacity of the wagon amounts to about 10.000 kgs. 
     
     
       53. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 1, wherein said openings in said side walls are adapted to be closed by substantially horizontally disposed rod means on said receptacle. 
     
     
       54. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 30, wherein said wagon is rectangular and said horizontal beam is channel shaped whereby rainwater and the like falling on said wagon is collected by said horizontal beam and drained therefrom. 
     
     
       55. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 53, wherein said side walls comprise reinforcements and comprise therewith an integral unitary length of sheet material. 
     
     
       56. A feeding wagon as claimed in claim 55, wherein said reinforcements are prolonged and extend along a roof of said receptacle, said reinforcements being located on the outer side of said roof. 
     
     
       57. A feeding wagon for cattle comprising a horizontally disposed frame, ground wheels on which said frame is mounted supporting said frame above the ground, a crop-containing receptacle mounted on said frame, said receptacle having a pair of side walls and a substantially relatively stationary flat floor as seen in side elevation, each said side wall having a plurality of vertically elongated opening means extending upwardly from substantially said floor whereby crop within said receptacle is accessible through said opening means from the outside for the feeding of cattle, said receptacle having forward and rear walls for confining crop therein, said forward wall defining an entrance which has its bottom substantially at the level of said floor, a crop feeding device connected to said receptacle adjacent said entrance which is adapted to move crop into said receptacle at the level of said floor for loading said wagon from floor up, said device being coupled to the forward portion of said frame by coupling means and comprising a pick-up member for gathering crop from the ground and an advancing member positioned to cooperate with said pick-up member and move crop through said entrance into said receptacle in a substantially horizontal direction. 
     
     
       58. A feeding wagon for cattle comprising a substantially horizontal frame which is mounted on forward and rear ground wheels which support said frame above the ground, a cropcontaining receptacle mounted on said frame, said receptacle having a pair of side walls and a substantially flat as seen from the side floor, a plurality of opening means disposed along said side walls defined by beams extending upwardly from said floor whereby crop at the floor level and above within said receptacle is accessible from the outside for feeding cattle, said receptacle having forward and rear walls for confining the crop therein, said forward wall defining in its lower portion an entrance the bottom of which is substantially at the level of said floor, a crop feeding device adjacent said entrance which is adapted to move crop into said receptacle through said entrance at the level of said floor and to load said receptacle with crop from the bottom thereof up, said crop feeding device being coupled to said frame at its forward end by coupling means and comprising means for picking crop off the ground and an advancing member positioned to cooperate with said pick-up member and press crop through said entrance into said receptacle in a substantially horizontal direction. 
     
     
       59. A feeding wagon for cattle comprising a substantially horizontal frame which has forward and rear ground wheels connected thereto which support said frame above the ground, a receptacle for receiving crop mounted on said frame, said receptacle having side walls and a substantially level floor as seen from the side, said side walls defining a plurality of openings beginning substantially at the level of said floor through which crop within said receptacle at the level of said floor and above is readily accessible from the outside for feeding cattle, said receptacle having forward and rear walls for confining crop therein, said forward wall defining at its lower edge an entrance for receiving crop which has its bottom substantially at the level of said floor, a crop feeding device adjacent said entrance for moving crop into said receptacle at the level of said floor whereby crop is pressed into said wagon for loading same from the floor up, said device being coupled to the forward end of said frame by coupling means and including means for picking crop off the ground and means for pressing crop picked up by said pick-up means through said entrance into said receptacle in a substantially horizontal direction. 
     
     
       60. A feeding wagon for cattle comprising a substantially horizontal frame which is supported by ground wheels connected thereto and has a receptacle for receiving crop mounted thereon, said receptacle having side walls and a substantially horizontal floor, said side walls defining a plurality of openings extending substantially from the level of said floor upwardly through which crop within said receptacle is accessible from the outside for feeding cattle, said receptacle having forward and rear walls for confining said crop therein, said forward wall defining at its lower edge an entrance for receiving crop which has its bottom substantially at the level of said floor, a crop feeding device connected to said frame for moving crop into said receptacle through said entrance at the level of said floor whereby crop is pressed into said wagon for loading same from the floor up, said feeding device including means for picking crop off the ground and means for pressing crop gathered by said pick-up means into said entrance in a substantially horizontal direction.